$500 and wife's birthday

[crewton]

My wife wants a digital camera for her birthday and her primary use is taking photos and using it to record family videos. Her brands of choice are Nikon or Canon. I've been debating if I want to go higher end point and shoot or go entry level SLR or if I even need to go that high. Canon seems to like its video format in MOV which is ok but I'd prefer AVI. I don't find 720p vs 1080p to be a big difference but if I can get 1080p why not The 500 is a rough budget I'm fine going +/- 100 or even more minus if I can swing it. Mostly, I am looking for recommendations and personal experience to help sway me.

Oh, and I should mention her main complaints with her current camera are low resolution photos/video and that her pictures are not as bright and colorful as they should be.

 

[charles29]

Personal advice canon 550d

 

[crewton]

Hmm 750 is a little more than I would like to spend. You'll have to do more convincing! I also saw that the Nikon D5100 is currently $770 on amazon and that looks to be better although canon has the better video system.

 

[blackhawk1928]

My mother recently purchased a Canon Powershot G12 and she's very happy with it. It takes RAW's, 720P video, and pretty low noise. Not to mention its very compact, unlike an SLR, the lens retracts when its off making it thin and easy to carry.